Who knew it would be so difficult to find good pennies?
When G.H. Bass & Co. hired Bob Martus to photograph new penny loafers for their website, the team struggled to find shiny and clean-looking pennies. Even after an assistant stopped by three different banks and brought back $10 worth of pennies to sift through.
“Out of a 1000 pennies we found 5 maybes,” Bob said. “The hero was a full frame image of a penny shot with a Sinar and 80 megapixel back. The pennies at that resolution and that close up looked incredibly dull and dirty.”
Fortunately, Bob channeled Walter White and used some basic chemistry to clean them up — mixing vinegar and salt will remove built-up copper oxide, which dulls the penny surface.
“The closest to vinegar we could find at Root Studios was a bottle of Cholula Hot Sauce, and mixed with salt we got some shiny pennies!!”
It’s good to know that 5 years of television can pay off.
Photographer: Bob Martus
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For more information about any of the Glasshouse photographers or for portfolio requests, please contact:
Kari Nouhan
Photo Agent, Glasshouse Assignment
212-462-4538 kari@glasshouseassignment.com
Charles Ludeke
Associate Photo Rep, Glasshouse Assignment
212-462-4538 charles@glasshouseassignment.com
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